Doom: The Dark Ages is bringing literal Hell back when id Software’s latest entry in the brutal first-person shooter series drops this Spring. In the run-up to the launch of this highly anticipated upcoming space game, here’s everything we know about Doom: The Dark Ages.
If you’ve played all the Doom games in order — including the 2016 reboot and Doom Eternal — you might be wondering how and why the Doom Slayer is still rampaging through thousands of demons after the second Ancient Gods DLC gave the entire series a satisfying ending. Well, as it turns out, The Dark Ages is a prequel to the 2016 reboot ( which wasn’t really a full reboot if you piece the scattered lore together).
Long story short: the original Doomguy spent some time on the world of Argent D’Nur, where he joined the Night Sentinels warriors of the human-like Argenta race. We know that demonic war ravaged the world, and now we’re getting to experience it. Doom: The Dark Ages should lead directly into the beginning of Doom (2016), despite the huge time gap during which the Slayer took a long, unwanted nap.
Doom: The Dark Ages isn’t the only FPS sci-fi game with outer space elements we’re anticipating this year. We’ll be keeping tabs on Metroid Prime 4, The Outer Worlds 2, and Borderlands 4 as well. Despite each one’s distinct mix of subgenres, there are two common elements: Blasting enemies apart and exploring alien worlds. Sign us up.
What is the Doom: The Dark Ages release date?
Doom: The Dark Ages will be released on May 15, 2025.
This prequel game is arriving roughly five years after Doom Eternal wowed Doom (2016) fans with its even more relentless and gorier take on demon-slaying action. It seems that id Software has made good use of all that time to cook something that feels different while keeping that pulse-pounding Doom magic at its core.
What platforms will Doom: The Dark Ages be released on?
Doom: The Dark Ages will be released on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5. Of course, since Bethesda is part of Xbox Game Studios, it’ll also hit Xbox and PC Game Pass day one.
Meanwhile, you can play (or replay) all the best Doom games via the subscription service. Trust us, it’s one ride to Hell you don’t want to miss out on.
Doom: The Dark Ages trailers
Though we’re fully expecting a final marketing push ahead of its launch date, Xbox and Bethesda’s promotional efforts around Doom: The Dark Ages have been hard-hitting so far. While most games are announced many years before they actually come out, Doom: The Dark Ages has had a relatively short journey from reveal to release.
The first official trailer arrived on June 9, 2024, after much speculation about what id Software’s next game could be. It runs under two minutes but makes good use of that time to look like arguably the most ‘heavy metal’ game ever made. Check it out below:
On January 23, 2025, Bethesda Softworks and id Software hit the ground running with an extensive ‘gameplay deep dive’ that goes over what makes The Dark Ages different from past Doom entries without spoiling much about the plot. You can watch it here:
For an abridged version that’s just a quick barrage of sick gameplay clips, you’ll want to watch this gameplay sizzle reel:
Doom: The Dark Ages plot & setting
Spoilers for Doom 64 and Doom (2016) ahead.
Unless the creatives at id Software are throwing a curveball at us again when it comes to the loopy overarching story of the Doom Slayer, Doom: The Dark Ages will bridge the gap between the end of Doom 64 (the canon Doom 3) and the beginning of Doom (2016). The latter game’s lore dumps and much of Doom Eternal put a lot of effort into fleshing out the war between Hell, Earth (across a multiverse), and other worlds. They also made the transition from Doomguy into Doom Slayer make sense.
After the events of Doom 64, Doomguy chose to remain in Hell for as long as possible, trying to prevent the demons from reaching (his) Earth again.
The Dark Ages should explain how Doomguy was found by the Argenta and taken to Argent D’Nur, where he became an even bigger legend and ended up joining the Night Sentinels before all hell broke loose (pun intended). While we’re not really expecting this game to spend much time in the pre-invasion times, it should give us all the story and context we were missing in Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal.
We know that things don’t go great for the Argenta during this conflict and that the Doom Slayer ends up trapped inside a sarcophagus for ‘ages’ before waking up on Mars (in another dimension). Before reaching that point in the story, however, you can be sure he slaughtered countless demons.
Doom: The Dark Ages genre & gameplay
You might be wondering: “How complex can a Doom game be?” Well, it turns out there are many ways to design first-person shooters about obliterating thousands of demons.
While the original games were all conventional run-and-gun shooters that grew in scope and visual fidelity as they went, Doom 3 took the series into ‘survival horror’ territory. Doom (2016) split the difference as a horror-themed, relentless action shooter, while 2020's Doom Eternal added both more agility and weapon-related strategy to the mix (plus a surprising amount of platforming).
Doom: The Dark Ages marks yet another evolutionary step for the series. In the official previews, id Software has made sure to highlight that this installment is more ‘boots on the ground’ and about turning the Doom Slayer into a tank who can hold his ground against the demonic hordes. If Doom (2016) was a modernized take on the classic shooter, and Doom Eternal was a faster and more thoughtful remix of past ideas, then Doom: The Dark Ages aims to turn the iconic protagonist into the sci-fi version of a big knight, complete with new weapons inspired by the medieval times... of a world that isn’t our own.
Among other tools of gory destruction, the Doom Slayer has access to a ‘shield saw’ and a gun that uses crushed skulls as ammunition on top of his trusty shotgun. It’s all gloriously over-the-top and metal. The developers have also managed to work dragon-riding and mech-piloting sections into this one. You won’t be hearing us complain.
Despite all this talk about new options to cause mayhem, exploration will still be part of the journey, with optional areas and non-combat abilities also teased by id Software. It’s abundantly clear the Doom franchise stopped being a one-trick pony long ago, and we can’t wait to get our hands on this one.
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